Student Group Demands University Disarm Police Officers

The University Of Minnesota Student for a Democratic Society staged a sparsely-attended anti-police event on Friday.

Minneapolis, MN – A group of University of Minnesota students has demanded that administrators disarm the university’s police force.

Approximately eight members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) group staged a silent protest outside the university president’s office on Friday morning, Minnesota Daily reported.

In addition to their demands about disarming the University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD), the student group also called on the university to increase their efforts to recruit more students from minority communities.

“This is essentially a reminder that we expect these demands to be met,” protest organizer Jackson Bianchi told Minnesota Daily.

The group referred to the demonstration as a “study-in.”

During the event, the students ate donuts and worked on their studies while sitting next to a sign that read, “DISARM UMPD.”

“I have a midterm in half an hour,” student Etienne Magdalen explained. “I agree with the resolutions [from SDS], I just have to balance social justice with school.”

The SDS posted footage of the sparsely-attended event on its Facebook page.

“We're here at President Joan Gabel's office to demand that the University increase diversity and disarm the UMPD!” the post read. “Since winning our All Campus Elections referendum last spring, we have seen no action by adminstration to implement our demands, so we're here to sit, study, and occupy space to show that we're not going anywhere! We will win our demands!”

This isn’t the first time the SDS has pushed to disarm the UMPD.

In April of 2018, the student group held a “Disarm the UMPD!” event to demand “justice for the murder of Stephon Clark,” according to the event Facebook page.

“The police have shown that they are not trustworthy,” the page declared. “Issues of gun violence, and action on gun control is well overdue. This conversation however, cannot go forward without the discussion of limiting the weapons of the police.”

“There is no reason that officers need a firearm on them at all times,” the SDS argued. “There is no reason that the UMPD needs 141 guns for 55 officers, a ratio of 2.5:1. Furthermore, the fact that 57 of these are assault style weapons is absolutely absurd for a force whose job it is to police students.”

The group further asserted that having armed officers on campus makes students feel “unsafe.”

“Especially minorities who are disproportionately affected by police violence,” the page read.

Students claimed that the UMPD has become “obsolete” due to the “mere existence” of other nearby law enforcement agencies, including the Saint Paul and Minneapolis police departments.

The SDS also alleged that the university’s police force “spends $500,000 per year on new arms and supplies,” Minnesota Daily reported at the time.

Approximately 15 people attended the 2018 event, according to Minnesota Daily.

Comments (74)

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No. 1-27

flybynight

Oct 7, 2019

What could possibly go wrong?🙄

roller

Oct 7, 2019

These people are fools!

hoss377

Oct 7, 2019

I just don't know how Minnesota became so screwed up,the people came from a hardy Scandinavian bloodline,work ethics and common sense,what happened?

JBo

Oct 7, 2019

They occupy space very well!

sbuckner021

Oct 7, 2019

a lot of inbreeding going on in Minnesota these days or something?

Jim H. - Virginia US

Oct 7, 2019

The last time a UM police officer actually fired a weapon was in 2012 — and that was to put a dying raccoon out of its misery.

In March, a measure to disarm University of Minnesota Police Department officers of weapons with lethal force resulted in a vote of 1,462 in favor of the measure and 1,857 opposed.

These kids are clearly not learning reasoning skills as part of their higher education...

IseeWhereThisIsGoing

Oct 7, 2019

“This is essentially a reminder that we expect these demands to be met,” protest organizer Jackson Bianchi told Minnesota Daily.

OK snowflake, you go to your safe space, because I sense you will be triggered when your participation trophy is taken away, and the administration tells you to go to class instead of simply taking up space with your protests.

The campus police are armed for their safety, as well as yours. They are expected to take action should an incident on campus occur (as has happened on campuses all over the country), to prevent loss of life. While I am support campus security officers being unarmed, if you have a campus police department, with trained law enforcement officers, they, like any other LEO, should be armed.

Nighthawk644

Oct 7, 2019

NEWSFLASH children.......YOU have NO say in how the University is run! Your little student referendum means nothing.......sooooo keep on "sitting and studying" like good little boys and girls...

"We're here at President Joan Gabel's office to demand that the University increase diversity and disarm the UMPD!” the post read. “Since winning our All Campus Elections referendum last spring, we have seen no action by adminstration to implement our demands, so we're here to sit, study, and occupy space to show that we're not going anywhere! "

Dutchuncle

Oct 7, 2019

What part of PROTECTING YOUR LIFE do they NOT understand????

floridacop

Oct 7, 2019

Part of the article states that the cops do not need weapons on them all the time. Think about this you highly educated young men and women. Active shooter on campus and cop has gun possibly getting there quick before to much happens. Now think of this. Active shooter on campus, cop has to go get weapon and respond. Active shooter has done a lot of damage. Would you want a cop to respond lets say within 3 minutes with a gun or 10-15 minutes later because they had to go get the gun and then respond. Since you guys and gals are so educated tell me this how long does it take for a shooter to ruin lives? You kids need to grow up and move out of your dream world. There are evil people out there who does not give a crap about you or your families and the only thing that is keeping you safe is that cop with a gun.

johnnycab23513

Oct 7, 2019

Eight malcontents hardly make a group!

Lesstalkmoreaction

Oct 7, 2019

Seeing as how the U of M campus sits adjacent to Little Mog, that'd be a big NO.

ComposerChick

Oct 7, 2019

Idiots is all I can say about this! I bet if or when someone comes to school to shoot up the place; if at that point they would still stick to having unarmed security as a great idea. All they are doing is setting themselves up for disaster.

Just-My-Thoughts

Oct 7, 2019

Lookie here............We have Ilhan Omar here and "Mayor" Jacob Frey who will not show respect and welcome President Trump this coming week to the City. He also will not allow off duty officers to wear a uniform there but when O'bama was here they were all decked out, police, sherrif's, etc. We have gangs of thugs robbing and beating the you know what out of whites downtown Minneapolis and the U of M area are having HUGE problems with robberies of people/students there. Amazing these nit wits want to disarm the police..........they might save their lives when a gun is put in their face demanding what you have.

LEO0301

Oct 7, 2019

As children your demands are duly noted, now go back to your studies and leave the decision making to the adults.

tuggingalong

Oct 8, 2019

When did CNN become an encyclopedia?

People are clueless uniformed idiots and apparently segregation is en vogue again. It seems like the fake news narrative is all these “higher education establishments” promote but who was first, the chicken or the egg?

tfort

Oct 8, 2019

It is their school.

19 Replies

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Brian N

Oct 8, 2019

Its not their school. They are attending it for a few years. And 8 petulant millennials making childish demands is hardly a referendum

Bonneville Kid

Oct 8, 2019

It is the taxpayers school. Like Brian said, they are there for a short time.

tfort

Oct 8, 2019

They pay tuition and it’s their safety they are concerned about. They need to be at the table when it comes to how they want their campus run. Let the students and administration decide.

Asherjakeangel

Oct 8, 2019

Most likely they are on LOANS to attend school. Most likely there is already a Student Council set in place to bring their ideas to the table. Most likely, at this young age, research has proven Brain Development is NOT complete, which is evident in their decision (s) of ‘rethinking they know ALL about their safety & the safety of others! Most likely, MN already has a high level of Diversity, because NOW, all schools will take Diversity over the most qualified students for State Funding. Time to wake up to the real world we’re living in & if these kids are truly serious about their Education, they would not be spending their time creating divisiveness, but unity, & taking care of their studies/grades. Just sayin!

Swtsmtn

Oct 8, 2019

No, it is NOT their school. They do not own it, they pay to go there and be educated.

LEO0301

Oct 8, 2019

Most likely their parents are paying the tuition or they have taken out loans that the parents co-signed on. Now, I would have no problem with the parents having a say so but I suspect they would tell their children to shut up and go to class.

Mrs10

Oct 8, 2019

These idiots aren't millennials. As awful as my generation is, they are even worse. It's all too scary to fathom!

Inquirer63

Oct 9, 2019

Sorry tfort, it’s not “their campus.” They are students attending the university, supposedly to gain knowledge. Yes, the Administration should listen to the students’ opinions, however, students often are not aware of the various issues with which the university management must deal. Thus, the decision making authority must reside withe the university management at an appropriate level.

Also, it would not hurt the students to learn a few fact. “Violence against minorities,” in the lack segment of our population usually is committed by other Black. According yo the FBI, in one recent year, 89% of Black men who were murdered were killed by other Black men; also, 52% of murders in the entire country were committed by Blacks, who constitute only 13% of the population—in fact, most were committed by Black men, who constitute about six percent of the population. Seems like the Black community needs to address Black violence, which, by the way, is mostly against other Blacks. ThT might not be popular, but facts are often unpleasant to face.

Finally, the student are not really in any position to “demand” anything.

tfort

Oct 9, 2019

This is a perfect Gov 201 class. Peaceful demonstration. We have so many kids who will not put down their phones and here we see kids standing up to what they believe in. Good for them.

tfort

Oct 9, 2019

But they at the school. You are not. So let’s make every state, every location open carry (not a bad idea). My kids are not in a government assisted day care, but since the parents don’t own the day care, open carry. Politicians don’t own the day care so void all laws against guns, knives, RPG’s, flame throwers......

tfort

Oct 9, 2019

You making an uneducated guess - I paid my way through college.

tfort

Oct 9, 2019

This is a perfect example of Gov 101. The students are the exact ones to demand what they want regardless of how wrong it may be. These kids got off their phones and got involved.

LEO0301

Oct 9, 2019

*you're - I believe you may have skipped a class or two.

Swtsmtn

Oct 9, 2019

Amen!!! Forget these punk kids trying to run the schools. Go home if they are so scared.

tfort

Oct 9, 2019

They see a problem and are going exactly what you should do to resolve the problem. Hats off the kids who put their phones down and got involved.

tfort

Oct 9, 2019

And educated they are. They see a problem and got involved, just like every American should do.

LEO0301

Oct 9, 2019

"They see a problem and are going exactly what you should do to resolve the problem. " Look, I know we all make typos but you seem to do so all the time. Tighten up the ship, sailor.

tfort

Oct 10, 2019

Sorry, I am dyslexic. I have come a long way Duce I was a kid, do I proudly accept your criticism. In first grade (no one knew what dyslexia was) they told my mom I would never finis school. Exact quote from the school - “the world will always need ditch diggers”.

I know am know an avid reader but writing can be difficult. Sometimes autocorrect will kick in and I can’t tell it us wrong. You should see my handwriting if you think this is bad.

LEO0301

Oct 10, 2019

No problem

Brian N

Oct 8, 2019

Maybe next they should try holding their breath

reverett456117502

Oct 8, 2019

Tell them to go back to class and read history lessons about Columbine, Parkland, Las Vegas, and a ton of other mass shootings! Do those students want to be next? Let the police tools to the police, not the public/students!

javaguy746

Oct 8, 2019

Hard to believe the university continues to let these dip-shit kids embarrass the school. Send the kids packing......

cspcapt

Oct 8, 2019

I got a better idea, let the idiots police themselves

investigator

Oct 8, 2019

Minnesota has now been determined to be the State, whose citizens have totally lost their effing minds!!!

observer1

Oct 8, 2019

The SDS started in the 1960s as a sometimes violent protest group. All these cops should start seriously begin looking for other jobs and let the campus protect itself. I imagine some so called "Professors" are behind this. Along with leftist politicians, and leftist media types, and criminals, there is no other group more damaging and dangerous to the safety and security of American citizens than leftist professors. The strange thing about these professors is they program students in a way that they endanger themselves by literally enabling criminals. Of course there are some rotten cops but most are not. In today's "climate" I don't know how they can take the lying abuse directed at them and that's getting worse at lightning speed. Criminals, mainly blacks, are confronting cops in insane ways like they seem to think they are invincible. . I use "insane" but I think it it is much deeper than that. I truly believe many violent criminals, including white mass shooters, are demon possessed. Of course leftist "elites" think people who believe that invisible spirit entities are active in the live of humans are naive and stupid. There is no doubt that demons exist and they hate humans but they enjoy using humans to cause violence and they will "bless" many with power to corrupt and cause chaos. I imagine the leftist trolls here would call me ignorant but my words to them are "Your opinion of me matters far less to me than the bark of a mongrel dog" and I will "match wits" with any of them.

BLDOM

Oct 8, 2019

This keeps up and the old saying will be true...Do away with guns and only the outlaws will have guns! Then see what happens.................................

61mouse

Oct 8, 2019

Well when a gunman comes on campus with a gun have fun Saving each other

dkc4875

Oct 9, 2019

Why would you disarm police officers, it’s stupid to even consider it. These protesters need to “study up “ on the calls these officers have to go on.
I worked at UAB for 25 years and I had to call the police quite a few time and our police had to cover campus, 3 Hospitals and several buildings off campus. 2 years ago we had a disgruntled employee who went into the Highland Hospital and killed 1person, shot another 1, then killed him self, should an officer respond to calls like this without a weapon.

oneadam

Oct 10, 2019

These young pups need to have a mandatory one week ride alongs with the police where there go through everything the cops do